DG Announces Exclusive Collaboration with Georgijs Osokins

Baltic Pianist Records 90th-Birthday Tribute to Arvo Pärt

“This album is a declaration of my love for Arvo and his music” (Georgijs Osokins)

For Arvo combines original piano works by Pärt with brand-new transcriptions by Osokins of iconic pieces

Berlin, 9 May 2025. Deutsche Grammophon has embarked on an exclusive collaboration with Latvian pianist Georgijs Osokins, who brings a distinctive approach to both the classical repertoire and the musical heritage of the Baltic region. Known for his archaeological explorations of lesser-known piano literature and his collaborations with his compatriot and mentor Gidon Kremer, Osokins creates thoughtfully structured programmes that often feature his own transcriptions and arrangements. His performances of everything from Bach to Pärt have earned him critical recognition. Audiences can experience his artistry next week in Berlin (12 May) and at the Ruhr Klavier Festival (16 May), with further international concerts to follow.

Osokins begins his DG collaboration with an album of works by Arvo Pärt entitled For Arvo, in tribute to the composer’s 90th birthday. His aim is to introduce the Estonian’s music to younger listeners and offer a new perspective on some of Pärt’s best-loved works.

“Georgijs Osokins brings a rare combination of technical precision, sensual sound and interpretative depth that immediately captured our attention,” says Dr Clemens Trautmann, President Deutsche Grammophon and New Business Strategy. “His approach to Pärt’s work reveals often overlooked layers, finding the emotional core beneath apparent simplicity. He navigates between the Baltic musical tradition and the broader classical canon with impressive ease. Deutsche Grammophon is genuinely excited to embark on this collaboration and to offer unique and rarely performed repertoire to a global audience.”

“It is an overwhelming joy to call Deutsche Grammophon my artistic home,” says Georgijs Osokins. “And it is a profound honour to begin our voyage with the music of Arvo Pärt, whose immense power and enigmatic beauty have long healed and lit the path for countless souls, my own among them. Amid current global upheavals, his music illuminates the human unity we often forget.”

For Arvo will be released in all formats on 5 September 2025 to coincide with the composer’s 90th birthday on 11 September. A first single from the album, Variations for the Healing of Arinushka, is available digitally from today, 9 May.

“I’ve long been an admirer of Arvo’s world,” says Osokins. “And I’ve had the chance to explore many of his works with Gidon Kremer, who was the first to illuminate Pärt’s music on a global scale.” His chosen programme reflects the evolution of Pärt’s personal musical idiom – from avant-garde complexity to the beauty and simplicity of the tintinnabuli style. Adding to the special atmosphere is the unique sound of the 100-year-old Blue Steinway piano played by Osokins (and provided courtesy of the Symphoniker Hamburg). The project has also received support from Wintour Group International, which promotes unique cultural initiatives across the Baltic region

Georgijs Osokins was born into a family of pianists in Riga in 1995. After initial lessons with his father Sergejs Osokins at Riga’s Emīls Dārziņš Music School, he studied at the Juilliard School in New York, and the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf. He is in close contact with such leading artists as Gidon Kremer, Daniel Barenboim and Christoph Eschenbach, whose advice and opinions have helped shape his musicianship.

He gained international recognition at 19 as a finalist in the 2015 Chopin Competition, leading to performances at Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie and Tokyo’s Metropolitan Theatre Hall. In 2019, he became a permanent guest artist with Kremerata Baltica. His honours include Poland’s Cross of Merit (silver) and Latvia’s Grand Music Award, whose previous recipients include Elīna Garanča, Mariss Jansons, Gidon Kremer and Andris Nelsons.